


Two of Cups

by Villefort



Series: Reading Me as I Read You [1]
Category: The Arcana (Visual Novel)
Genre: Awkward Flirting, Fluff, Holding Hands, Other, asra said eat the rich (they're right), first time introduction, flirting through palm readings baby
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-05
Updated: 2021-02-05
Packaged: 2021-03-16 15:14:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,135
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29209458
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Villefort/pseuds/Villefort
Summary: Donatello is unsure what to make of the poorly disguised nobleman asking for a palm reading. All they know is that he is much too handsome for his own good. What harm could some slight flirting do?
Relationships: Apprentice/Valerius (The Arcana)
Series: Reading Me as I Read You [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2144604
Kudos: 3





	Two of Cups

**Author's Note:**

> A proper introduction of how Donna and Valerius actually meet! Part of a (hopefully) longer series of their relationship pre-game. Will be working on this while I work on my other series with The Vals to keep my mind busy heheh

It wasn’t often that Valerius treated himself to the commoner’s marketplace. He and his childhood friends had started a habit of disguising themselves, donning peasant clothing, and pursuing the stalls of those lesser than themselves. He was unsure if they still did so in private; he never grew out of the habit, even when he outgrew his friends. Wearing a wide-brimmed hat topped with a bright yellow feather and a thick, leather poncho, he shuffled through the square relatively unnoticed. He kept his hair up and concealed inside the hat, weary that its coloring would give him away too easily. A colorful scarf also concealed his chin and lips, only revealing his eyes. He wasn’t as well known as Lucio in terms of looks; no gaudy statues of Valerius stood erect, and he rarely paid the common people visits unless duty was called. He even avoided the coliseum as much as possible; he was not a fan of carnage. 

No, he much preferred listening to the whispered gossip between sellers, of the petty brawls that would erupt over stolen goods or overpriced scams. Growing up within nobility meant he was used to their scandals: an unfaithful husband, bastard children, wives sneaking in servants. He had lost count of the times he had to cover for his own mother as she shooed her affairs from her bed chambers. Not that it mattered: he would help usher a drunken maid from his father’s all the same. But the marketplace? He could never predict what sort of ruckus would happen there. Keeping a low profile, he could have access to as much entertainment as he wanted. 

On that particular summer day, the market was bursting with life. Different vendors had traveled to set up their summer stands, mixing in with the tried and true local sellers. Valerius hardly ever bought anything save for food; there was a particularly wonderful baker that he considered recruiting for his own staff. But the summer meant new, foreign dealers, which meant new opportunities for mayhem. Standing next to an elderly woman, he watched from a safe distance as two sellers started an argument over whose merchandise was genuine. A hapless lad was standing between them, clearly looking for a trinket for some beloved. Valerius and the woman exchanged looks before giggling between themselves. He knew had she known who he was, she wouldn’t be giving him the time of day. While not many Vesuvians knew his face, they knew his name, and it left a sour taste in their mouths. He was grinning behind his scarf as he anticipated a bit of violence about to break out. Nothing like those awful gladiators, but a bit of roughhousing was always exciting. 

He instantly deflated as another person quickly stepped into the scene, their voice rising above the other two. 

“Look at you two, squealing like school girls! Are you not embarrassed? Do you have no sense of shame anymore?”

They were a tiny thing, only standing a few inches above five feet. They wore a long skirt that slinked from their hips, their waist snug in a worn corset. A loose, white blouse fluffed out from the corset, the material light and bouncy. The two men looked down at them, one already very sheepish. 

“Donatello, it’s not my fault—”

“I’m not talking about blame! Look at you, Lorence! Putting on a show for all these nosy shrews!”

They gestured to the small crowd that had formed, Valerius being lumped in with them. He felt his entire face heat up.

“And just who are you?” the other seller barked, towering over Donatello. They glared up at him, fists balled at their sides. 

“And who are  _ you _ ? I’ve never seen your face around here, and I’m certain I would never forget it.”

Valerius couldn’t stop himself from laughing at this. The red-faced seller looked up to the crowd, eyes searching as Valerius quickly hid his face more. 

“Listen to me,” Donatello continued, their voice hard and even. Valerius couldn’t help but think they sounded a bit like Lucio; they had the same accent. “You’re not from around here. But see, this isn’t what I want to listen to while I conduct my business. Any tiff you may have with each other, settle inside amongst yourselves, not where the whole world can hear it.” At this, Donatello finally regarded the trembling man, giving him a small but warm smile. 

“And why should I listen to you, little bug?” the seller hissed, crouching down to face Donatello. Valerius gasped as he watched their fists suddenly burst with different colored sparks.  _ Witchcraft.  _ They grabbed the seller by his shirt, pulling him closer to their face as they lifted their other hand dangerously close to his face. Sparks flew and singed his shirt and beard. Valerius noted how long their nails were, each sharp like claws. He felt his face heat up more at the exchange. 

“I’m one of the most dangerous magicians you’ll meet here,” they snarled, teeth barred and brown eyes wild. The seller balked, struggling to pull himself away from their grip. “You want a nice hex to start off the season with? Be a damn shame if all your  _ lovely  _ wares met an untimely fate.”

“That won’t be needed!” the man yelped, finally released as he held his hands up in defeat. “I can play nice with my neighbor! Honest!” Nodding towards Lorence, the seller quickly retreated behind his stall, out of the sight of the crowd. Both Lorence and Donatello erupted into a fit of laughter; the poor lad between them stood confused and frightened. 

“Most powerful magician, eh?” Lorence chuckled, motioning for the boy to follow behind him as he ushered him into his shop. 

“Hey, I thought since  _ you’re _ upselling yourself so much, I can too! But I mean it, I don’t want to hear your voice from my stand like that again. Giving me a headache and it isn’t even that late into the day.”

The crowd had dispersed very quickly, but Valerius kept his attention on the two as they exchanged goodbyes. He watched as the witch sauntered back to where their stall was. It was a small cart draped in different tapestries. The old woman was also still close to him, though her attention was back to the sets of dishes in front of them. Valerius steeled himself before lightly tapping her hand. She looked up at him sweetly, her warm, dark brown eyes instantly drawing Valerius in. 

“That witch,” he spoke, his voice muffled behind his scarves. “Who are they?”

“Oh? Why that’s Donatello! Don’t let that silly act fool you. They’re a sweet little thing. Mostly does palm and card readings. Why a handsome man like you may want one! I hear they barely charge a thing for ‘em too.”

“So that threat of being the most powerful magician…?”

“I don’t know a thing about that sort of thing. I just know they and their little friend Asra are some of the nicest people around here, and I hear their fortunes are truer than the sun shining above us!”

Satisfied, Valerius patted her wrinkled hands again before making his way out— not before paying for the dish set she was eyeing. 

Donna sighed as they settled back into their seat behind their stand. Asra still kept the cart despite not using it much himself. They preferred doing their readings outdoors during the summer months; they found business did better and a little extra sun didn’t hurt either. Smoothing out their hair, they inhaled deeply. Honestly, they hated when the shopkeepers got so loud over such meaningless things. The shouting and banging almost always caused some sort of headache for them, not to mention it was just  _ annoying _ hearing two grown men argue. How anyone could stomach such a display was beyond them.

“Pardon me,” a smooth voice suddenly caught their attention. They startled, a small ‘eep!’ escaping them as they quickly regained their composure. Looking up from their seat, they were greeted by… a very poorly disguised noble. Squinting from the sun, Donna regarded them up and down. Their entire outfit screamed ‘This is what I think poor people wear’; everything was too expensive to actually have come from one of the local sellers. 

“And how can I help you today?” they smiled wide as they leaned their chin on their hands. The stranger cleared their throat, making their voice a bit gruffer. 

“I heard that you do palm readings,” they spoke, eyes darting between them and the others milling about the market.

“Oh? Was the sign not a tell enough?” Donna grinned as they pointed to the sign directly in front of them; an open hand was painted on it with an eye in the middle. They could tell the other began blushing and giggled as they waved a hand at them. “I kid, I kid. Yes, I do palm readings. I can read your cards too, though that will cost you a bit extra. A mysterious stranger like you  _ must  _ be itching for a love reading, yes?”

“N-No! I… just a palm reading. I understand they cover… everything.”

Donna tilted their head. Normally their patrons had some knowledge of magic or even tarot in general. However, this stranger seemed awkward and confused, unconfident in what they were requesting. Had they been a wicked person, they would have already been thinking of some sort of scam, particularly for a noble. Instead, they motioned for them to take a seat in front of them. Donna quickly set out to dropping the tapestries down, giving the two an idea of privacy. It also brought them closer together, pushed in by the thick fabrics surrounding them. The remnants of incense could still be smelled on them; it felt a bit like they were at the shop, the din of the marketplace muted.

“Please, take off your hat and scarf. This will work best if you are comfortable,” Donna prodded, settling back down in their seat. They looked at the stranger expectantly, eager to see what they would do. Donna had to stifle their excitement as the stranger followed their instructions, begrudgingly shrugging off their scarf and hat. Gods, they were… so handsome. High cheekbones, full lips, and oh, those eyes. It was their hair that puzzled Donna the most; such a neat ombre and so long too. They felt like they should know who this person was, but they couldn’t quite place them.

“Isn’t that much better? The heat is certainly picking up,” they tried to say as cheerfully as possible, though it was getting hard not to let their voice ring a little higher pitched.

“Yes, I suppose you are right,” the stranger murmured, sitting back down with their clothes in their lap.

“My name is Donatello, by the way. But everyone calls me Donna. What should I call you?”

“Valente,” he spoke quickly, his eyes searching Donna’s expression earnestly. They only smiled at him, though their mind was whirring. It was obviously a lie, but the name still felt familiar. 

“A very fitting name for such a handsome man. And what in particular do you want to know, Valente, if not about love?”

Valerius felt like his entire world was beginning to spin. He knew most of the compliments he received from others were for ulterior motives. He was unused to such… genuine treatment. He knew if the witch knew who he was, they would not be so bold with him. And yet his face felt like it was on fire; he struggled to form an answer.

“B-business,” he managed, ringing the scarf in his lap between his hands. “I would like to know more about my professional life. Successes, failures… you get the gist.”

Donna seemed put off by that answer. They should have known better; all nobles cared about was their money. Still, they had hoped he could have been a little different. They simply hummed and shrugged their shoulders; no need to let negative thinking ruin a reading. They reached into a small box left open on the table, plucking out a small, tinted vial. 

“Are you comfortable with me touching you? I normally like using a lavender oil on my guests before I start,” they questioned, holding the vial up so “Valente” could see it. “If you would rather not, you can do it yourself. Whatever makes you feel most at ease.”

“No, no! I… That’s fine,” the man stammered, his face turning bright pink. His suave demeanor was quickly shattered; he suddenly looked downright adorable so caught off guard. Trembling, he lifted his hand up into Donna’s waiting ones. They turned his palm up and lightly dropped the oil onto his wrist. Soft but confident fingers rubbed the oil in circles up to his palm. They rubbed any excess oils into their own hands, taking a moment to inhale deeply. “Valente” found himself mirroring the magician, already feeling his shoulders relax slightly. “Is this… umm, some sort of magic?”

“Hmm? Oh no, it’s just your run of the mill oil! You can get them anywhere, really. But like I said, this works best when you and I are both relaxed fully. And it smells good too,” they giggled, brushing their hair behind their ears. “Valente” blushed and turned away despite still offering his hand to them. “Now, let’s see what we have here.”

Humming, Donna gently brought “Valente’s” hand closer to their face, those brown eyes quickly running over every line on his hand. The constant contact was flustering him beyond words. There was much that Donna could tell even without reading his palm; conservative, anxious, secretive. A bit awkward around new people it seemed, though that could be blamed on the strange setting. He certainly knew nothing of magic, which was strange for a supposed local. He didn’t sound like he was from another city; in fact, he sounded more Vesuvian than Donna. Still, he was very out of place  _ here _ , hidden away between tapestries, getting his palm read. They wracked their brain for common noble families; were there any rumored to be particularly reserved? 

“This is very interesting,” they mused, finally looking back up at him. “It seems you are on the cusp of a great adventure.”

“Adventure? I don’t travel.”

“What work do you do?”  
“P-Politics.”

“And are you happy with it?” 

Their eyes were very earnest; Valerius could sense no ill will coming from the question. He hadn’t expected there to be so much  _ talking _ ; he was convinced they would simply list off all the fantastic things that were sure to happen to him and send him off. 

“I… yes. I suppose.”

“Both your life line and your fate lines have several breaks. That isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but rather that the path you’re going down may not be what you stay on. Is this always what you’ve wanted to do?  _ Politics _ ?”

Valerius disorientated. All of that just from some lines on his hand? He looked where they were looking, his brows knit. Without needing to be asked, Donna pointed to the two lines in question; there were, indeed, breaks in both. 

“It’s what I was raised to do, yes. My family has always been… invested in such things.” Gods, he knew he must have been giving himself away. But he felt compelled to speak freely, or as free as he could under his new "identity." Donna still showed no indication that they knew who he was. They seemed to only be interested in his palm.

“Hmm… I see. I suppose tradition plays a big role in your life then. You’re a very logical sort of guy, yes?”

“One can describe me that way, yes.”

“And you’re a learned man, too. I can tell you have very good taste; a lover of the arts, though I suppose you never got into them yourself?”

“Not particularly, no. I prefer observing rather than creating.”

Donna hummed again, regarding his palm intensely. Valerius tried to tell himself that this was all nonsense; any of these things could be made up and applied to a person. Still, he didn’t  _ feel _ lied to, and he wasn’t sure if that was even worse. 

Suddenly they were frowning. Valerius’s hand twitched; he was unsure if he wanted to continue. 

“Yes… you are definitely on the cusp of a great adventure. But you need to be wary of letting setbacks cloud your vision.”

“What does that mean exactly?”

Donna paused to consider their words carefully, their expression quite serious.

“You are going to go through a lot of grief before you settle into a position you want,” they started, their fingers slowly rubbing the sides of Valerius’s palm. The motion seemed to instantly relax him despite what they were saying. “Everyone experiences obstacles, but I see that you will face life-altering challenges. Grief can often cloud your judgment. While you may know what you are doing is not what you want, or is not what is best for you, you may act anyway. This spills over into every aspect of your life; your profession, your relationships with others, even your relationship with yourself.”

Valerius sat stiffly, his eyes focused on the palm of his hand. Donna searched his face, trying to discern his expression. When they could not, they gave his hand a gentle squeeze.

“But don’t take that as meaning you won’t ever be happy! Quite the opposite, really. You have to go on this twisting journey before you can end in a happy, stable ending.”   


“And what does that look like?”

It was such an honest question. He refused to look at them, his eyes still remaining on their joined hands. Donna hummed, patting his palm with their other hand. Valerius let out a small breath as they grasped his hand between both of theirs.

“Now  _ that _ is up to you. As I said, I see you taking many twists and turns down the line. You may be successful in politics, or you may wind up as a wandering musician!” They both laughed at this, suddenly the mood being lifted once again. Donna sighed and smiled as Valerius finally regarded them. They held one another’s gaze, seemingly unaware they were still holding hands. “What matters is you will be very happy. Even through all the yucky stuff, you will find happiness, and it will find you. That is the biggest takeaway from your reading that I see. You have a very happy hand!”

They laughed again at their own cheesy joke, a blush finally gracing their features. Valerius felt at a loss for words, a thousand thoughts running through his head. He understood that the reading was over now, that they had said everything they needed to. He should thank them and move on; they probably had other customers they needed to bring in, and he was holding them up. 

“My… love line,” he finally managed. “Is there anything of interest there?”

Donna perked up at this, their smile widening. A certain glow seemed to be emitting from their eyes, and much to Valerius’s confusion, their once dark blue hair blossomed into a bright blonde color. He gasped, eyes widening as he moved back a bit from them. Donna giggled, finally releasing his hand to touch and run their fingers through their hair.

“Oh! Don’t worry about that; just a little spell I did when I was a kid. I’m just… pleasantly surprised you asked. You said you didn’t want to focus on love.”

“All this talk of happiness has me curious, is all,” he said, suddenly a bit sheepish. Donna smiled knowingly, once again taking his hand in theirs. Not that they needed to; they had already seen what they needed to.

“Like I said, you will be very happy. You’re a very  _ private _ lover, but I can see you love strongly. You’ll experience heart break, yes, but that will only make finding your true love all the more rewarding. I see at least one child down the line, but I always think those things are subject to change. The most important thing is to stay true to yourself and let your love see  _ you _ , not another version of you.”

Donna watched keenly as the man’s face once again erupted into a pink hue. They winked at him knowingly, squeezing his hand once more before finally releasing it. Their hair faded back to that deep blue, their volume seeming to deflate as well. Valerius let out a breath he didn’t know he was holding. He stared at his hand in wonder, still caught between a sense of bewilderment and skepticism. He was sure once he was alone and out of their sight, his senses would return to him. 

Valerius was caught off guard when Donna suddenly stood up, raising their arms above their hands to stretch out their back. He couldn’t help but stare at them, taking in quickly the curves of their body, the way their face scrunched up as they lightly groaned. He fumbled to stand, clumsily trying to reassemble the rest of his disguise. It felt hotter than before; the scarf was suddenly unbearable, the hat too hot. Donna sighed, a dreamy smile on their face. Unprompted, they helped Valerius adjust his scarf, pulling it up over the bottom half of his face. His brain felt like it was burning out with the sudden close proximity; he could  _ smell _ coffee on their lips. They smelled sweet, like vanilla, not bitter or stale. They looked up at him innocently, tilting their head slightly. He felt the urge to brush their bangs away from their face, but he resisted. 

“If you’re ever in Vesuvia again,” Donna started, their hands still pressed to his chest. “I would love to give you a card reading. They’re much more specific and… revealing.”

Valerius felt his own hands move on their own accord, suddenly grasping Donna’s.

“Yours will be the first shop I go to when I return.”

Again, that glint in those brown eyes. A blush crept up not only on Donna’s cheeks but their hair suddenly burst with a bright pink tone. That once sly expression was replaced by a mortified one. Content, Valerius gave their hands a final squeeze.

“Until then, I suppose,” Donna managed to get out, awkwardly waving a hand.

“Until then.”

Did he wink at them? They weren’t sure. All they could hear was their own heartbeat drumming in their skull, their entire body suddenly electrified. He was gone as soon as he came, a sudden empty chill taking up their small space despite the summer heat.

Asra was seeing his final customer out as Donna fumbled through the shop’s door. He instantly lit up, easily embracing them. Notably, their hair was a bright pink. So it had been a good day for them. They hugged him back tightly before regarding the customer, wishing them a cheerful good night. Their good mood was infectious, the patron leaving with an even brighter smile on their face.

Once Donna shrugged off their bags and shoes, Asra led them up to their bedroom, lazily detailing his day’s events to them.

“Pretty boring, but boring is good sometimes,” he sighed, plopping down on their shared bed. Donna sat next to him, curling their legs under themself. “But  _ you _ look like you had an even better day. You haven’t stopped smiling once!”

“Oh, Asra, you will not believe what happened to me,” they said, eagerly grasping for his hands. He held their hands tightly, scooting closer to face them. “Everything was going pretty normal, pretty blasé. But then a  _ fight _ broke out! And it was giving me a headache, so I told those guys about themselves.”

“Donna! You could have gotten hurt! You can’t stick your nose into every little brawl that breaks out.”

“Oh  _ please _ , I was fine! That’s not even the exciting part! So I tell those guys a thing or two and go on my way. I’m thinking, well, you probably just scared off any potential customers for the day. But then! Then this man comes into the stall!”

“As expected when you have a stall open.”

Asra giggled as Donna playfully slapped his arm, already fed up with his meddling.

“ _ Listen! _ He wasn’t just some  _ guy _ . He was totally some noble in disguise! Just like in the novels!”

“Oh? How are you sure?”

“His clothes were stupid expensive. I could tell just by looking at him. And you know rich guys; they all have a certain vibe to them.”

“Very true.”

“So I’m sitting there, and I’m like, ‘Okay, I’ll play along.’ And he asks for a palm reading! Not even a full spread. Says something about wanting to know how his career will go or something, but he looks totally out of his element. I can tell he’s into me, or at least I  _ hope _ he was because  _ Asra _ : he was grossly beautiful.”

Asra giggled, shoving them lightly now. They were positively beaming, their hands gesturing wildly as they spoke. It wasn’t often Donna got so flustered over a person; normally their flings lasted only a day and started at a bar.

“And so we do the palm reading, and it is just… so  _ intense _ . The way he’s looking at me. It just felt… felt so intimate, you know? And get this! When we were wrapping up, I may have been a little…  _ flirty _ . And I told him to come back for a card reading. And he gets real close and you know what he says?”

They leaned forward expectantly, eyes shining brightly as they bit down on their bottom lip. Asra took a moment to feign thinking, humming loudly before shrugging his shoulders.

“ _ Yours is the first shop I will return to, _ ” Donna mimics his voice, pulling Asra closer in a mock recreation of the scene. The other magician laughs loudly, pulling them even closer.

“And you’ve been thinking of it ever since?”

“ _ Yes! _ I’ve been wracking my brain over who it could be. It definitely wasn’t that ass Lucio; I see enough of his stupid statues to know what that piece of work looks like. He has to be from Vesuvia, but I just can’t think of  _ who _ .”

Flopping down on their back, Donna groaned. Asra curled up next to them, leaning on one of his arms.

“Well, maybe it’s for the best. Vesuvian nobles probably aren’t the best crowd to get mixed with.”

Donna sighed, pouting up at him.

“I mean, you’re  _ right _ , but I still wanted at least a kiss. He had a very kissable face.”

Asra chuckled, pinching at their cheeks.

“Yeah, well, so do you,” he teased, easily pinning them down beneath him. Donna loudly laughed, reaching up to tussle Asra’s hair.

“You dummy! Quit buttering me up and start dinner! I didn’t forget that I cooked last night.”

They both stuck their tongues out at one another before erupting into another fit of laughter. They play-fought a bit more, shoving and pinching at one another’s sides. 

A sudden and frantic banging at their door stopped them both.

Glaring, Donna slowly began to free themself from beneath Asra.

“Did you remember to put out the closed sign?” they whispered, remembering the last time Asra had forgotten. He nodded, his expression suddenly serious. Sighing, Donna got up first, slowly making their way downstairs. Again, another loud series of knocks. They kept a hand behind their back, multi-colored sparks forming in their palm. Asra tailed behind them, reaching for one of the stone relics on the shop’s counters. It was unspoken that they suspected it must have been the shopkeep from before. Cursing themself, Donna reached out to open the door halfway, teeth already bared.

“You got a lot of nerve coming to my sho—”

The last word hung in the air, unfinished. Asra could barely see past Donna’s body; he could only see that their expression turned from anger to shock. 

“I’m quite sorry for catching you off guard like this,” a voice replied. It was strangely similar to the one Donna had mimicked before. Too curious, Asra pushed his way to the doorway and gasped.

“C-Consul Valerius?”

He shot a panicked look to Donna, who was positively mortified. Before them both was clearly the Consul of Vesuvia; his hair was neatly plaited into his signature braid and he was sporting his usual fashion of brown cloaks. Asra noted the ram pendant clipped to his shawl. Honestly, how could Donna  _ not _ recognize him?

“I did promise to visit your shop first when I returned to the marketplace, though. And I am a man of my word.”

Donna struggled to respond, instead pushing their bangs out of their face. Asra pulled back, suddenly wary. He had heard nothing good about the consul; he was Lucio’s right-hand man, the second most powerful figure in Vesuvia next to Countess Nadia. He could be nothing but trouble. 

“Y-Yes, I—”

“I decided to take your words to heart; I should not show you another version of myself. I was mortified when I realized I forgot to pay you for your palm reading. Will you allow me to make up for such a flounder?”

“How do you… how do you suppose you will do that?”

“Dinner, of course. I find good food is one of the best ways to apologize to a person. Among other things.”

Grinning, Valerius reached out a hand to them. It was the same hand they had held so eagerly, the same one that had squeezed their own. 

Asra seemed like he was ready to interject, to reel Donna back to reality.

“Yes!” Donna replied too eagerly, clasping Valerius’s hand. Asra bit down on his tongue, worry already gnawing at his stomach. Donna quickly regarded him, their smile strained. “Asra… I’ll be back soon. Please don’t worry.”

Donna emphasized the word “please”, knowing it was futile to ask their friend for such a thing. Valerius smiled, tugging them lightly to his side.

“Yes, I promise nothing nefarious will happen to you. You have Vesuvia’s finest guarding you.”

_ But not from you _ , Asra thought bitterly. He said nothing though, watching as Donna was helped up into the carriage. Valerius shot him one final look, his expression unreadable. Was he gloating? Sincere? Asra couldn’t tell. Slamming the door shut, he let out a shaky sigh. Of course. Leave it to Donna to accidentally seduce the Consul of Vesuvia. And of course, they would follow him. Taking in a deep breath, he tried to calm himself down. If they didn’t return by morning, he would have to find a way to get to them. Until then, there was nothing he could do to hold them back. 

Resigned, the magician softly padded back up the stairs, his mood suddenly darker. 

**Author's Note:**

> As mentioned last time, more info on Donna is on my art/writing tumblr c0nsul-valerius and my main account bottomvalerius (is it obvious who my fave is lmao)


End file.
